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                                             Democracy – Should we continue with it ?

                                                                     - Puthige R Ramesh

           

            India is worlds largest Democratically ruled Country. Will our children and grand children too will be having this proud joy or will they say “Once upon a time India was worlds largest Democratically Ruled Country”.

            Our Constitution is the most sacred book of the Country and it is a strong foundation over which the rights of the people are decided. It starts with noble words “ WE THE, PEOPLE OF INDIA, HAVING SOLEMLY RESOLVED TO CONSTITUTE INDIA INTO A SOVERIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC……….”.  Unlike our neighboring countries, our Constitution has withstood onslaught on it for the last 70 years.

            What are the basic features of our Constitution:

            1. Citizens enjoy 22 types of rights known as Fundamental Rights which

               cannot be  tinkered by the Government in power.

            2. Government has 26 types of duties

           3. Citizens too have certain duties listed in Art.51A of the Constitution.

            4. As regards, governance is concerned, we have the Central Government at

               National level and the State Government at the State level. Distribution

               of works amongst them is spelt in Seventh Schedule of the Constitution

               by classifying the powers under three heads – Union List, State List and

               Concurrent List.

            5. Judiciary is taken care through Constitutionally established Courts as well

                as Courts both handing civil and criminal disputes right from Taluka level.

            6. Union and State Government are run by a person to head such Governments

                upon being called to do so by the First citizen of the Country viz. His Excellence

                the President of India. President invites a person only after a party is voted to

                power in an election conducted in this regard and such party reposes confidence

                in a particular person and elects him as its leader.

            7. Aforesaid election are conducted by an independent agency known as Election

               Commission of India whose rights are protected in the Constitution.

            As regards governance, what we can notice is that there should be an election conducted across the Country and in such election all eligible countrymen are entitled to participate both for contesting the election as well as to elect a person who has contested in the election. The elected persons then elect a leader who will head the government after being sworn in as such by the President/Governor as the case may be.

            Let me now just examine as to what is the cost involved in running the Parliament.

            1. The “official” Election Commission figure is that 2009 elections involved an expenditure of Rs 1120 crores. 

            2.  After a 2010 hike, a Member of Parliament gets Rs 50,000 per month as salary, Rs 45,000 as constituency allowance, Rs 45,000 as office allowance which totals to Rs 1.4 lakhs a month. When Parliament is in session, an MP will be entitled for daily allowance too. In addition to these expenditure, there are other necessary expenditures such as  free petrol, free telephone calls, free housing, furniture, electricity, laundry, travel, pensions, subsidized food etc.  On a rough estimate, the expenditure involved over an MP is around Rs 3.5 lakhs a month, 0.42 crores a year.  We have 543 MPs and as such expenditure on them comes to Rs.228.06 Crores per year or Rs.1140.3 for a term of 5 years

4.         Government is also required to set apart Rs. 2 crores a year as MPLADS.  This total to Rs.1,086 crores per year or  Rs.5,430 for one term of 5 years.

5.         Thus the total expenditure for 5 years in conducting an election and meeting the expenses involved  in having 543 MPs is 1120 + 1140 + 5430= 7690 Crores.

6.         The above figure is in addition to maintenance of Parliamentary Secretariat.

 

            I have absolutely no quarrel on the money spent for having an effective democratically elected Government because through effective discussion and debate of 543 Members of Parliament who collectively represent 130 Crores of Indians, the Bills tabled by the party in power gets analyzed before it becomes a law. Excellent procedure contemplated and followed  by our Parliamentarians. That’s why I feel proud to say that I am a Citizen of World’s largest Democratic Country.

            Alas what is happening now. It is disgusting. Bills that are debated by our representatives in Parliament are then debated in public. Invariably, such debates are one sided views. Shocking thing is that the Hon’ble Members of Parliament who participated in debates within the four walls of Parliament openly side with agitators throwing to winds what all that transpired in a legally permitted manner. Sad part of it is that many of these agitations are invariably led by those who never contest an election or those who have lost the election many a times losing their Security Deposit.

            In other words, what is happening now is that  an Enactment made after discussion is once again placed before the Public in agitations set up by busy body. If this is the state of affair then why do we require a Parliament? Let there be one person to rule the Country and all his actions can be discussed on road side platforms. It may look absurd but what else can I say if Parliament’s dictates are ignored and side lined?

                   

 

                                                                                           Puthige R Ramesh